


Inconnu

by TheTurtle1567



Category: Original Work
Genre: Melancholy, Open to Interpretation, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:47:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22143577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTurtle1567/pseuds/TheTurtle1567
Summary: The unknown describes a state where nothing is known. This is obvious I suppose but it's important to lay a foundation. This place isn’t just devoid of light, this place is utterly and absolutely nothing. The unknown laughs in comparison to the emptiness of a black hole where nothing can escape its iron grip. The only thing remotely comparable is death, the emptiness of a soul leaving their body that was once full of passions and dreams. Connu, a man so small in this void that an amoeba scaled to Earth still isn’t comparable, is the only glimpse of light in the sea of dark, the only known aspect of this world.





	Inconnu

The unknown describes a state where nothing is known. This is obvious I suppose but it's important to lay a foundation. This place isn’t just devoid of light, this place is utterly and absolutely nothing. The unknown laughs in comparison to the emptiness of a black hole where nothing can escape its iron grip. The only thing remotely comparable is death, the emptiness of a soul leaving their body that was once full of passions and dreams. Connu, a man so small in this void that an amoeba scaled to Earth still isn’t comparable, is the only glimpse of light in the sea of dark, the only known aspect of this world.  
The breeze against her arm alerted her to the opening of the door, who in the midst of the doorway was her husband, Connu. She greeted him with a warm smile; no words were needed to know that she loved this man. “Hey, did you make dinner yet, I’m craving anything edible at this point” he said as he wiped the oily sweat from his forehead. “Yes, dear I did, everything’s done just serve yourself” these words escaped her mouth without even the slightest wince. Connu went over to the kitchen, his long stride and tall silhouette admired by his wife. The pot filled with his favorite food, if you could call the contents food, simmered on low heat over the stove. The scent hit his nostrils with an overwhelming, overpowering sourness, “Honey this is the best you’ve ever made it, can't wait” his chapped lips managed a smile. He grabbed the pot with his bare hands without hesitation and set it on the table. He scooped up what was meant to be food and ate straight from what lay just below his chin. What he sat on had half its legs, even an inch of movement rocked it with a croak. Connu laughed at this, what came out was a hoarse, bitter laugh. He realized how silent his house was. The man was even able to hear the cockroaches scatter as his wife turned on the lights. His eyes adjusted to the change in atmosphere, “TURN OFF THE DAMN LIGHTS” he snapped. Connu would do this every so often, the mental weariness needed to be channeled somehow. Not even a flinch. She obeyed and flipped the switch to off. A white glow filled the room and Connu had been met with an atrocious site. The tile floor was littered with cracks, wide enough for a wide variety of critters to seep into. The table before him was nothing but a chair that could barely stand. Almost every cabinet door wide open, inside rotten food that maggots had imbedded inside of and the rats made the foul odor increase exponentially. The wood rotten that even a gust of wind may blow it off its hinges. The oven window was only shards now swarming the floor. The stove his meal had been put together on was covered in stains that went so far back even Connu didn’t remember. His smile was still fixed on his face from this sight, such a lovely home him and his wife had. He heard an unknown above him, on the roof. Almost as if it was a mini earthquake, rubble from the already shredded ceiling tumbled to the ground. He laughed. His laugh was muffled by the silence. Neither of them knew exactly why they stayed so quiet, most of the time anyway. They couldn’t help but fear what may happen if they made a noise just loud enough to alert it; the deafening silence. Then Connu would have to live with his thoughts and his thoughts alone.  
His wife came over to comfort him, no words necessary. She ran her hand through his nappy hair trying to soothe him. He stood up almost forgetting how to stand for a moment, “I'll be in the room if you need me”. With this his feet scraped the floor as he carried himself up the stairs. He slept for hours it seemed like. Connu wanted to escape from this reality, forever be in a deep slumber. When he woke up from what he wish wouldn’t end, he proceeded to get cleaned up. The man stumbled to the sink, and managed to turn on the water. What came out of the faucet was a murky brown liquid. He held his hands out in a cup and splashed his face. His gaze avoided the mirror afraid of what he may see glaring back. He was ready to give up on it all. The monotony of these futile habits slowly withered him away. There was nothing to lose nor gain at this point; he was trapped in a cycle that nawed at his sanity. His thoughts were interrupted with the soothing sound of his wife’s sleeping. She was as peaceful as an angel watching over you. Connu couldn’t leave her to the Unknown. He finished cleaning up and put on his torn work boots. They were a brown leather and were barely held together. They were functional, but the bare minimum if that. Even with this, he took a deep breath, wanting to hold his breath till it was gone. He strolled down the stairs and glossed over the rat that retreated as he approached. His hand met the door handle; he turned it and stared into the Unknown.   
The house he was just inside of had an ominous luminosity to it, as did he. It seemed as though everything apart from the Unknown had this cold impression. Connu is similar to a flickering torch ready to let out with any cool breeze. These outings he went on required every action to be precise and with a purpose. Any misstep may result in what he dubbed the “dusting”. Connu walked down the porch steps and stopped. He took out a wrinkled paper from his backpack and unfolded it, making sure to note where his house was with a doodle. “ One ,two , three”, he counted rhythmically with each step and rhythmically, his foot was met with color being restored to the ground for a brief moment before returning to black. All Connu could see was the Unknown, only his sense of direction to guide him. He remembered the tree up ahead and put his hand out waiting for its embrace. The bark caved in as his hand touched it. “Jesus Christ” he muttered as he took out his rag to wipe off the dead tree from his palm. As it fell to the floor the bark shriveled up and infused itself with the soil in an instant. Connu heard the pitter patter of hooves crunching leaves. Adrenaline surged through him, his hair stood on end, and his feet stayed planted in the soil without even the slightest movement; he listened. His eyes fixated on the direction of the ripple in the silence, now able to hear the chewing of leaves. Connu armed himself with a compound bow and nocked it. Sweat trickled down his cheek paving a clear path; his grubby face cleaned by it. He exhaled and lifted his finger sending the arrow flying into the Unknown. The sad cry of a deer followed its path. Connu ran to the deer unsheathing his bowie knife. He found the deer in what seemed like a spotlight and knelt down. The blade met the neck of its prey and slit it, ending its suffering. The knife then worked overtime and harvested every bone, organ, or tissue it could. A quarter till he was done and then the body shriveled up and melded with the ground. Connu let out a single tear, not of distress but of joy. He gripped his sharp friend with a grip that could have snapped a neck. He stood up, brushed off the dirt pointlessly as his jeans were filthy, and started to head home.  
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. The Unknown is a living breathing substance, almost a reincarnation of the boogie man. It needs to be well nourished just like any other animal. The dusting tames the Unknown but it isn’t thriving by any means. It’s a dying animal yet still doesn’t want to give into such a mortal weakness. It needed a better source of energy; Connu’s wife.   
Connu’s wife awoke to the bathroom’s lights flickering, even they were cautious of what was to come. She stared at the event confused beyond belief. It stopped for a brief moment. The light bulb then burst like a firework and lit up the drapes with an intense flame. The red heat danced about them, mocking her shocked state. The fire spread to their infested mattress like a snake, slithering towards her attentively, so she quickly stumbled out of the covers. She saw a tall silhouette and cried out to it, “Connu!”. The silhouette came over and revealed itself. She froze, unable to stand up and run, her eyes locked on the figure. White empty eyes were the first thing she noticed, the eyes were meant to be the gateway to the soul, but this thing stared back blankly. The lingering shadow had long slender arms that reached the floor, almost dragging. Its head was tilted with interest, intrigued how humans were so fearful of what they didn’t understand. It was amusing to the shadow, it let out a vile, psychotic laugh. Connu’s wife closed her eyes as if this simple act would make this abomination leave, similar to a child hiding under the covers, but when she opened them it began to inch closer. Taunting her, knowing that she was helpless. The long strides gave way to a horrific site; its jaw widened with each one. When it reached the end of the bed its jaw had dropped below its torso awaiting its next victim. A spark of recognition hit its eyes. It closed its rabid mouth reluctantly and instead reached its slender arms toward the woman. She shrieked, kicked, everything she tried was shrugged off by the shadow and it again let out its abhorrent chuckle. It had his arms around her like she was in the middle of a slinky and crashed into the window. The thing left the house empty and devoid of light; the house’s life left with the woman.  
Connu knew his journey was ending, he had been counting steps and knew his home was near. The closer to where his house should be made his stomach sink in more and more. He laughed trying to lift the tension, but it only increased the uneasiness. With the wrinkled paper in hand he started to hyperventilate, “Where is…. the house?”. He began to retrace his steps making sure to count carefully. “One…two…three...”, his feet ended at the base of where his house had been crudely drawn. Nothing but the vast Unknown, the dark void still surrounding where his safe haven should be. Connu fell to the floor for a multitude of reasons, one being that a sickening screech filled the darkness, echoing endlessly throughout it. He clenched his ears wanting the pain to go away, he screamed in vain trying to overpower the terror in his blood. Connu panted heavily, lost in his thoughts. A bright light flashed, blinding him. He opened his eyes and saw a tall white beacon stretching out ahead of him, the vastness separating him and the beacon. It clicked for him; his wife was there. Connu knew why their house hadn’t been dusted and forever worried for the moment they would come for her. This time he screamed at the beacon in the distance with outrage painted on his face. He pounded his fists against the ground leaving them with a red crimson that dripped to the floor. Connu then hit a nearby tree and retorted with a cry of pain. His rage turned to a realization of the depressing lack of power he had. How would he save the woman he loved from something he didn’t even understand? He leaned against the tree and slowly slid down it. He sat there scheming, childish dreams of killing the shadow, more realistic nightmares of ending his life. They had stolen the only reason he still pushed on. He stood up to a pathetic stance, wishing he could muster up more strength. He stared out at the beacon once more, imagining his beloved wife, “I’m coming for you, I promise”.  
The shadow is merely a puppet of the Unknown, it didn’t need it for long, so it was dusted. It screamed out in agony, a sickening screech. Connu’s wife captive, hovering above the ground, her light slowly fading. It would drain the poor woman till she was nothing but a lifeless sack of flesh, then she would be dusted just like everyone before her. Her eyes pointed at what was once the glimmering night sky. In the past she would’ve seen a thousand stars, each one sprouting with an abundance of rich life. It no longer had this appeal, simply a black nothingness stretching out infinitely. The only mercy the Unknown had is that she was in an unconscious state, not aware of her surroundings. This merciful act would be short lived when she became one with the Unknown, it was as if your body was being burned from the inside out. The process feels like an eternity, the soul slowly leaving its host behind, unable to grasp that it’s death awaits.  
Connu’s backpack was only filled with what he had packed for his last expedition. This included a flare gun, his faded map, the slowly rotting carcass, a worn out box of matches, and a useless compass he packed out of habit. This is all he had for his journey before him. He decided to push it to the back of his mind, instead focusing on the task at hand; his wife. His only plan was to walk towards the beacon until he arrived there, simple as that. Anything along the way he wasn’t prepared for even in the slightest. His mind was somewhere else as his feet shuffled to his prime goal. The brain’s function is cognitive thinking above all else and Connu’s head was lost in this. They were simple thoughts, far from abstract. Simply a way to not think of the troubles he will have to face in time instead of wondering on what he can realistically accomplish if gets to the beacon…. when he gets to the beacon. His only real advantage is human will power. Humanity’s ability to push the limits of their mental capacity is outstanding.  
Connu’s eyes had been locked on the ground without any real intent, but out of his peripheral he saw it. He gasped, unable to grasp he would ever lay eyes on anything other than the void; there was life. This patch of life looked like an island floating in the cosmos. He sobbed like a child and sprinted toward the blessing. It was a cruel act of the Unknown to put such a decoy as this. He arrived at the edge of the colorful scene; it was beautiful. It looked like the forest before the Unknown had taken over, the area had healthy trees that guarded the path in front of him. Deer trotted around merrily and ate the thriving plant life. Insects gave the whole area a buzz that wasn’t a nuisance, but a relief that there something, ANYTHING else besides the Unknown. He took a step inside the bubble of life. He immediately noticed that the further into the woods he got, the thinner the air became. His breaths became more urgent, his lungs unable to provide him with the oxygen he desperately needed. His legs became wobbly, barely able to hold the man up. They eventually gave out causing him to collapse to the floor, still trying to fill his lungs with the sweet nectar of freah air. Connu tried to calm his panicked body. He could barely breath but he managed to take deep slow breaths. He was able to stand now, rising to his feet slowly but standing nonetheless. The deluded patch of life was no where to be seen when he regained his focus, only the Unknown once more.  
He was nearing closer to the beacon and as he did his thoughts scattered throughout his mind. What?, was the first question that he was able to grasp. Connu had pushed this back long enough but now he needed to have some sort of plan. He decided his childish dreams would HAVE to be a reality. He would try to take what the Unknown had been taking all these years; life. It was the only thing he could possibly think of and for good reason. The lack of sleep and adrenaline had worn off so now his feet didn’t even lift up off the ground. Another sickening screech let out throughout the field of black. This time the didnt noise let up, it continued to stretch his sanity thin at full volume. He couldn’t stop now, not now that he was so close. His legs picked up pace becoming a sprint. His body ached, the muscles in his legs cramped, and his arms throbbed with an intense convulsion. The scream escalated and grew more desperate, pleading for its life. It died down and Connu tumbled to the floor. There he lay with his limbs moving sporadically. “No…so…close…” were the last words he said before his mind went blank and he passed out sprawled on the floor.  
He jerked up ready to run to the goal still fresh in his mind. There was no need though, he was there. Connu had made it, the beacon revealed itself to be merely his wife. He let out a whimper and tried getting to his feet. When he managed to balance himself, he saw a tall silhouette next to the beam of light. Its beady eyes enlivened by its next prey. It decided to toy with its victim. Connu slowly drew his bow, as if it would somehow pierce the creature. The thing sprinted with an appalling grin, it enjoyed terrorizing its prey, it’s the only thing it lived for. Connu began to nock his bow but he was terribly clumsy and dropped the arrow. The thing stopped playfully, letting Connu pick up the arrow. It looked at Connu with a stare that said “go ahead”. Connu took his shot and got the shadow in between its eyes. It laughed once more, simply removing it and snapping it in half. The thing lunged forward at Connu and pinned him to the ground. It let out its black as night tongue from its mouth and tasted its next meal. It got off of him, still wanting to continue the show. Connu couldn’t help but crumple under himself, he was as helpless as his wife. The creature watched as Connu went over to his wife. Its curiosity peaked as to what he would do. Connu placed his hand on the woman’s cheek and a tear rolled down his face, he kissed her, knowing it would be the last time. The shadow began to widen its jaw, tired of playing games with its meal, the grin still visible and its eyes hungry for Connu.  
Impossible is a word that sounds simple on the surface but can actually be complicated. Most things are possible or just very unlikely to occur. One in a billion chance sounds impossible however in the grand scheme of things it’s as plausible as rain on a Sunday evening. Impossible happened to Connu and his wife. Connus wife lit up like a supernova, creating a vast expansion of light. The thing was immediately disintegrated as this happened, turning into dust but not becoming one with the Unknown. Instead, an island floating in the cosmos became a reality, stretching well beyond what Connu had witnessed before. It kissed the edge of where their house had been. His wife fell to the floor and Connu was there to catch her. He cried what would be the last time and kissed the woman on her cheek, tasting the saltiness of a single tear.  
His wife stayed in a coma like state, Connu nurturing her for what he hoped would be the unlikely event that she awoke. Connu could’ve filled a river with his tears but he didn’t, instead he appreciated that he wouldn’t have to step foot in the Unknown again. Thoughts of suicide still wrapped his brain but his wife still stopped him in her eternal slumber. Connu realized this was a blessing in disguise, he loved that his wife wouldn’t have to live in this fabric of reality and instead could dream endlessly; he actually envied her in a way. Eventually years passed and his wife went on to another life, he hoped better than this one. Connu had built a cozy cabin for himself, in much better condition than the house. He stayed true to his roots and hunted for his meals. Connu had come home from one of these ventures with an elk. He skinned it and carefully harvested the animal. He suddenly became fatigued. Connu went to his bed and lay down, trying to shrug off the tiredness that had surged through him. He closed his eyes, wishes of everlasting dreams still up high. Connu experienced his wishes from all those years ago. His cabin then was bare of any humanity, nothing but the sound of nature to fill the forest.


End file.
